Flight Planning and Delays
A student pilot embarked on a solo cross-country flight in preparation for a private pilot certificate. Upon arriving at the first destination airport, he was unable to obtain fuel due to the New Year's holiday. He proceeded to a nearby airport but also could not refuel there. Eventually, he located an open fixed-base operator (FBO) and traveled there for fuel. He contacted his instructor by telephone, informing him of the delay and requesting someone to pick him up, as he might not return before sunset. The instructor instructed him to fuel the airplane and return home.
The Return Flight
During the return leg, darkness fell. While established on final approach for landing, the airplane collided with trees located under the final approach course. The pilot later reported that he never saw the trees and that he failed to utilize the aircraft's landing light during the approach.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had accumulated a total flight time of 57 hours, including 3 hours of night flying. His most recent night flight had occurred 5 months prior to the accident.